Monday

Quiche and Tell

Like most fans of 101 cookbooks, it only took one recipe to make me sit up and take notice of Heidi Swanson's deliciously healthful approach to food. By the second recipe, I had, like scores before me, had fallen headlong in love with her style.

Clearly, a lot of thought has been put into each creation. The recipes as well as the process are embellished with detail. And yet, theres something unhurried and genuinely nourishing about the gestalt, the end product.

The Spinach-Mushroom Quiche caught my eye. A quiche with no eggs, no wheat? Surely, you jest! But the recipe is a great example of all the strengths of 101 cookbooks. Scrupulously honest. Filled with all kinds of useful information. Exactly like Heidi wrote, it takes forever but is delicious.

Heres what I did: 1. Followed the recipe for the crust to the letter. I loved the sesame seed - oat - spelt combination. For my taste, sesame oil would be too much. Instead of a 9.5 inch tart pan, I used individual quiche dishes and ramekins.

2. Filling: I've made this a couple times.

Version 1 (vegan): Mushroom and spinach filling with the original tofu-rice vinegar base. In addition to caramelized mushrooms, I added caramelized fennel. This turned out deliciously creamy. The smoothness of the tofu in perfect contrast to the earty texture of the spelt crust. To my palate, the quiche could use a little heat. Perhaps a diced green chili or maybe some smoky undertones of chili oil.

Version 2 (includes eggs): Mushroom, spinach, red bell pepper filling. I went ahead and chucked the veggies into an egg custard. This was not as creamy as the tofu filling but had a little more heat from the red bell peppers in it.

The verdict:I've frozen a batch and eaten them for breakfast / lunch over the course of a week. They held up well and have that nourishing, satisfying quality. To be fair, its all a matter of taste. To the average palate (if there is any such thing) they may seem like excessively healthy food. As for me, I confess that while the tofu filling was good, its too much work to make on a whim. Yes, I'm lazy and healthy. Ha ha. I adore the spelt crust - its just the thing when I want eggs and whole grain in my breakfast but I'm not in the mood for toast. And yes, I will toast oats and sesame and grind them and slave over this crust. Thats how much I like it!

Come, join me at Suganya's... Suganya, of Tasty Palettes is hosting Vegan ventures, incentive for all of us to explore healthful alternatives. As for Tasty Palettes, one simply cannot get enough of it - gorgeous pictures, thoughtful writing and a host of innovative recipes!

Beautifully done, Smita. I haven't tried spelt yet, though. Like Ashwini says, my pantry is more than full. But this is bookmarked and will be tried. Next time, try substituting onions with leeks. Leeks and tofu are such a pair. Thanks for playing along.